Dear Community Member, 
The Center for Public Health Practice and Research (CPHPR), located within the Jiann Ping Hsu College of Public Health, Georgia Southern University, is conducting an independent hospital-community engagement assessment on behalf of Delta Health. As someone who lives or works in the area near this facility, your input is invaluable for this important study. Therefore, we are requesting that you complete the attached survey.  The survey is designed to comprehensively assess community members’ perception of the local hospital and their preferences for health services. The survey should take approximately 15-20 minutes to complete. The information that we obtain from this survey can inform your county hospital's service delivery as well as efforts to ensure its viability.    

Your participation in this survey is completely voluntary. Please note that your local hospital will not have access to your actual responses.  Your confidentiality will be assured as all data will be held in a secured file by the principal investigator at Georgia Southern University. Your contact information will not be linked to your survey responses. All responses will be reported in aggregate form, and no unique individual identifiers will be reported. Thus, your participation in this study is not expected to have an adverse impact on you or your relationship with your local hospital. We also do not anticipate you experiencing any discomfort or risk because of your participation in this study. However, if you do, you may stop participating at any time you wish. There are no monetary incentives attached to participating in this study.

Participants have the right to ask questions, and the research team will do their best to answer them. Should you have any questions or concerns, please contact Bettye Apenteng [bapenteng@georgiasouthern.edu or 912-478-2416]. This project has been reviewed and approved by the Georgia Southern University Institutional Review Board under tracking number H#23261. For questions concerning your rights as a research participant, contact the Georgia Southern University Office of Research Services Sponsored Programs at 912-478- 5465.      

Your completion of the attached survey represents your consent to participate in this study. Thank you for your participation in this initiative. 

Sincerely yours,
Bettye A. Apenteng, PhD 
P.O Box 8015
(912) 478-2416
bapenteng@georgiasouthern.edu